The Classic Guide to ... - Böcker

The beautiful game as we know it today was founded at the end of the nineteenth century. The history of football as a sport in England can be traced back to at least the eighth century, but the laws of the modern game were first standardised between 1848 and 1886.Charles William Alcock has been described as one of the fathers of the modern game. In 1871, as Secretary of the Football Association, he founded the world’s oldest footballing competition, the FA Cup. He set down much of the history and knowledge he had accumulated over his long career in this, one of the very first ‘manuals’ of the sport, in 1906.

Often described as the greatest cricketer of all time, W. G. Grace started his long career in 1865, and is said to have revolutionised the sport. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the ‘Golden Age of Cricket’, and the period produced some great players and memorable matches, especially as organized competition at county and Test level developed.In The Classic Guide to Cricket, W. G. Grace relates his personal experience of the sport and its history, and instructs the budding cricketer in the Spirit of the Game.

In 1872, the world’s first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa. The world’s oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, was first played in London in 1877. These first Championships culminated in a debate on how to standardise the rules of the sport as it evolved.John Moyer Heathcote was one of those who devised the original rules of lawn tennis, and he is also credited with inventing the cloth covering for the tennis ball. An amateur tennis champion until 1882, he wrote one of the very first manuals of the sport. The Classic Guide to Tennis instructs the budding tennis player in how to become a master of the game.

While the modern game of golf originated in fifteenth-century Scotland, the game’s ancient origins are unclear and much debated. The first written record of golf is King James II’s banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction from learning archery. The world’s oldest golf tournament still in existence, and golf’s first major, is the Open Championship, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. Horace Gordon Hutchinson won the British Amateur twice, in 1886 and 1887, and he has been described by many as the Father of Golf Instruction, writing several books on the subject. In The Classic Guide to Golf, he shares his insight into the game, and instructs the casual player or beginner in how to become truly great.

Throughout history sailing has been instrumental in the development of civilization, affording humanity greater mobility than travel over land, whether for trade, transport or warfare, and the capacity for fishing. Sailing has contributed to many great explorations in the world. In 1889, Knight sailed to the island of Trindade off the coast of Brazil in a 64-foot cutter named the Alerte. He was in search of treasure.In The Classic Guide to Sailing, E. F. Knight, the soldier, journalist and war correspondent, relates some of his experiences and lays down the basic principles of sailing and boatcraft for the budding sailor.

Have you ever wondered how to know you are really in love? How to woo your beloved with a handkerchief? How about how to write a foolproof love letter? The Classic Guide to Dating is full of practical advice for the young lover (or would-be lover), guiding him or her through every stage of courtship, marriage and beyond. Revealing many of love’s hidden mysteries, Henry J. Wehman has produced an essential and timeless volume for anyone who has ever wondered how to find true love. Featuring indispensable lists, such as twenty ways to pop the question, as well as a useful appendix of love poetry, The Classic Guide to Dating is an (almost) complete guarantee of success.

A sport popular in over 100 countries around the world, rugby is said to have originated when William Webb Ellis ‘with fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time at Rugby school, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game’. While the popular story of the schoolboy William Webb Ellis going rogue is an amusing anecdote, it is unlikely that the development of the game was sourced from one youngster’s actions.Written in 1922, The Classic Guide to Rugby looks at the shape of the game after the First World War. A firmly established and popular sport at the time of writing, D. R. Gent, an ex-England international, tackles differing types of play, the qualities of a good captain, the temperament required to be a patient and fair referee, the spirit of the game and rugby’s position in future society.

Athletic contests in running, walking, jumping and throwing are among the oldest of all sports and their roots are prehistoric. Athletics events were depicted in the Ancient Egyptian tombs in Saqqara, with illustrations of running at the Heb Sed festival and high jumping appearing in tombs from as early as 2250 BC. The original and only event at the first Olympics in 776 BC was the stadion, a stadium-length running event.The turn of the century was a time of renewed interest in the sport, with the foundation of the Amateur Athletics Association in 1880, the first modern Summer Olympics in 1896 and the International Amateur Athletics Federation in 1912. In this classic guide, Montague Shearman traces the evolution of athletics and shares his expertise in training and discipline.

The nineteenth-century American writer Theodore Gordon wrote ‘it is impossible to grow weary of a sport that is never the same on any two days of the year’. It is this enthusiasm for the sport that H. Cholmondeley-Pennell, one of Britain’s most famous nineteenth-century naturalists, conveys in this comprehensive guide to fly fishing, one of its very first ‘manuals’. From deciding upon the most suitable gear to tips on may-fly and bait fishing, Cholmondeley-Pennell gives practical advice to inspire both the experienced angler and the occasional hobbyist.H. Cholmondeley-Pennell was a renowned British naturalist of the nineteenth century. An editor and occasional contributor to Punch, he was known for publishing widely upon both coarse and fly fishing.

‘A new beverage is the pride of the Bartender, and its appreciation and adoption his crowning glory.’Written in 1887, Jerry Thomas’s seminal bartender’s manual is the definitive guide to cocktails for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike. Thomas, described as the ‘father of American mixology’, provides the reader with clear and engaging instructions on how to mix a range of popular and more obscure cocktails, with recipes from America, Britain, France, Italy and Russia.From the Spread Eagle Punch to the mint julep, and from White Tiger’s Milk to the Champagne Cup, you will discover all manner of creations to suit any occasion, enabling you to become the ultimate party host.

‘Polo is perhaps the most ancient of games.’Often called the ‘Sport of Kings’, the fast and furious game of polo has a long and varied history. Originating in Persia, the popularity of the game spread to North Africa, China and the Indian subcontinent, where it was picked up by the British. Polo is now played professionally in numerous countries and continues to inspire as a sport celebrating the alliance between human and horse, as enjoyable to observe with a drink in hand as it is in which to participate.In 1905, T. F. Dale created the definitive manual for the sport, explaining its origins and rules, offering strategic advice, and reflecting on what might be to come. The Classic Guide to Polo reveals that Dale’s instructions and observations are as relevant today as they were at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Well placed to discuss the art of skiing, Arnold Lunn was editor of the Climber’s Club Journal and the Alpine Ski Club Annual, founded the Oxford University Mountaineering Club, invented the skiing slalom race and was eventually knighted for his services to British Skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations.Originally published as a cheap handbook for skiing, this Classic Guide is devoted to the needs of the beginner, from the technical aspects of how to ski to what to wear while doing it, published during a time when the Alps were relatively unexplored by British skiers. As ski lifts were an unknown entity during the early twentieth century, Arnold Lunn traces the difficulties of a ski-runner and the problems encountered while mountaineering in the dangerous winter alps.

Rowing can be traced back to as early as 1430 BC, with oarsmanship mentioned in Egyptian funeral inscriptions and Virgil, including rowing as a funeral game in the Aeneid. Rowing as a sport can be traced back to the early eighteenth century where teams competed against each other on the River Thames. The famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, begun in 1829, has been held annually ever since. Author R. C. Lehmann was an English writer and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1910. Perhaps better placed to coach and write about rowing than compete in it, Lehmann finished last in every heat he entered in the Henley Royal Regatta from 1877 to 1888. He later found success in coaching both Oxford and Cambridge rowing teams. The Classic Guide to Rowing gives a glimpse into the world of rowing in the twentieth century, showing how techniques, still used today, first originated.

The first human attempts to collect honey from wild bees were some 15,000 years ago, while the Ancient Egyptians depicted domesticated bees around 4,500 years ago. But it was only in the eighteenth century that a better understanding of how bees live led to the invention of a moveable comb hive that allowed beekeepers to harvest honey without destroying the colony.Beekeeping had become truly popular by the late nineteenth century, when this manual was written as a comprehensive guide by John Hunter, Honorary Secretary of the British Beekeepers’ Association. Whether you are a seasoned urban beekeeper or an aspiring countryside smallholder, this book will provide you with a fascinating insight into the essentials of the hobby.

At a time when there were no easy guides to turn to for experience in British sports, The Classic Guide to Cycling was an imperative and insightful glance into its history and benefits when first written, thanks to the dedication of the Rt-Hon. Earl of Albemarle and G. Lacy Hillier. A cyclist enthusiast, not only did the Earl coin the name for the National Cyclists’ Union, but was also its president, demonstrating his keen knowledge and experience as an avid sportsman.As Lacy Hillier remarked, ‘No history of cycling in the future will be complete which does not do full justice to the efforts of the late Earl of Albemarle to further the interests and the well-being of the sport.’ With original illustrations, this updated version of The Classic Guide to Cycling is a must for any bike enthusiast.

Since the arenas of ancient Rome to modern-day bouts, a boxer’s success has been measured by his balance, strength and recovery. One of the things that The Classic Guide to Boxing teaches us is that boxing is not just a sport but a science. Judging distance, position, arm movement and fist shape all contribute to a boxer’s overall performance in the ring, and these are spread out in informative chapters for improving amateurs. This handy guidebook also teaches its readers the art of performance, detailing how to trick one’s opponent into being caught off guard, so that they can deliver the winning blow.Penned as the ultimate ‘Manly Art of Self-defence’, the history of boxing is presented in vivid detail, with essential notes on defence tactics and cross-counter moves such as the ‘Famous Solar Plexus Knockout’ or the ‘McCoy “Corkscrew”’ that any enthusiast will appreciate. This volume also recounts notable matches between boxers including Les Darcy, Jimmy Clabby and George Chip, with step-by-step accounts of their moves for readers to learn from, ultimately showcasing the sport in its early glory days.

The Victorian age, the age of industrial revolution and expansion of cities, was also the age of an explosion of interest in the practice of gardening. This was not merely a private pastime. For the first time, a concerted effort was made throughout Britain to provide extensive gardens for the public to enjoy. More than merely an aesthetic enterprise, the development of public gardens attempted to promote benevolent behaviour and decrease social unrest. It was during this period that we saw the creation of infamous and elaborate gardens such as the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, and plants were brought from all around the world and housed in gardens such as James Bateman’s at Biddulph Grange, Staffordshire.The craze for plant collecting that developed in the nineteenth century catalysed the return to a more formal style of garden to display the variety of plant species from across the Empire. In this illustrative comprehensive tome, Frank J. Scott brought the art of beautifying home gardens to suburban homes. He demonstrates the simple means with which beautiful gardens may be achieved on small grounds and with little cost.